Boy Finds His Mother and Two Siblings Hanged in Family Garage

YUCAIPA, Calif. (AP) _ An 11-year-old boy found his mother, sister and brother hanged in the family garage when he came home from school and authorities termed it an apparent murder-suicide.

Robert Williams Jr. and a family friend found the bodies of his mother, Katherina Williams, brother Kevin, 2 and sister Nadia, 4 in the two-car garage on Friday, said San Bernardino County sheriff’s Deputy Debbie Dorrough.

″We’re pretty confident that this is a murder-suicide,″ said sheriff’s Sgt. Pete Ortiz.

Ortiz said Mrs. Williams, 30, left a note but he didn’t disclose contents except to say she was very unhappy.

When paramedics and police arrived they discovered all three bodies hanged from a garage rafter.

Authorities believe they died sometime between 2:30 a.m. Friday and the time they were found at 2:30 p.m., Ms. Dorrough said.

Deputies said Mrs. Williams’ husband Robert is an insurance broker in San Bernardino and was not home when the bodies were found.

Neighbor Gwen O’Fallon said Robert and the woman who brought him home from school came to her house to call 911.

Ruth McIntyre, Ms. O’Fallon’s roommate, said Mrs. Williams had been distraught for several months.

″I was over there last night talking to her,″ Ms. McIntyre said. ″But she wouldn’t tell me what was wrong.″

″Katherina hadn’t been Katherina for the last couple of months,″ Ms. O’Fallon agreed.

Fire Capt. Jerry Hendershot said two veteran county paramedics were so shocked by the scene they had to be relieved from duty.